Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on the fashion attire known as "zoot suits".
This post provides an excerpt from an online article published by the Exploring The Arts Foundation about the 1941 Jazz song singing the 1941 song "A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)". That excerpt includes Kay Kyser's version of that song's lyrics.
This post also showcases a 1942 1942 soundie (short music film) of Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White singing this song. That video includes information about Dorothy Dandridge.
My transcription of the lyrics to the Dorothy Dandridge/Paul White version of this song is also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composers of this featured song and thanks to Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White for their performing arts legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of this embedded YouTube video.
*Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/two-examples-of-1942-song-zoot-suit-for.html for a 2014 pancocojams post that showcases this song. That post doesn't include any lyrics for this song.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "A ZOOT SUIT (FOR MY SUNDAY GAL)
From http://www.electricka.com/etaf/muses/music/gone_but_not_forgotten/second_world_war_era/zoot_suit/zoot_suit.htm published by Electricka on behalf of the Exploring The Arts Foundation
“Zoot Suit
Are you in the groove? Can you "dig a zoot suit with a reet pleat and a drape shape and a stuff cuff to look sharp enough to see your Sunday gal?" Want to see more of this once-cool but now quaint jive talk?
If your answer is yes, the lyrics from a popular 1941 song called A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) by L. Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien make a great way to get in the groove. The version you are now hearing, one of the most popular of all the versions, is by the Big Band of Kay Kyser and his Orchestra. Vocal credits go to Sully Mason, Jack Martin, Ishkabibble, Dorothy Dunn, and Trudy Erwin.
Other Renditions
A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) was written by Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien. It received a lot of attention; it was one of the most popular tunes of its time. It was played on jukeboxes, in diners, bars, and juke joints everywhere. It seemed to say something valid and important about the music and spirit of the times.
The song was recorded by these artists in 1942:
Kay Kyser & His Orchestra, vocal by Sully Mason, Trudy, Jack Martin, Max Williams
The Andrews Sisters.
Paul Whiteman & And His Orchestra.
Bob Crosby & His Orchestra, vocal: by Nappy Lamare.
Ray Herbeck & His Orchestra, vocal by Hal Munbar & Yvonne Walker.
Harry Roy & His Band.
The song is still popular in some circles. In a recent performance, the song was played by Wendi Williams in the 1999 film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. It was also recorded by Benny Goodman and the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra.
The Lyrics Examined [Pancocojams Editor’s note: This is Kay Kaiser’s arrangement]
[...]
First Half
The guy sings to The gal, who appears to be a seamstress, describing the clothes he wants her to make for him. If she makes them well, he can properly sport his favorite lady in the style he desires on Sunday, his day off. Of course, the style he wants is the zoot suit.
The gal assures him that she knows exactly the kind of clothes he wants by describing the outfit she's going to make for him. She's so in, he confirms his order. Then he asks her what she wants to wear.
Second Half
The gal answers by describing the outfit she's going to wear to please her man on Sunday, her day off. The guy realizes that her man wears a zoot suit and that she wars the female counterpart to the zoot suit. She must be in the groove.
The guy is now positive the gal knows the clothes he wants her to make for him and he reaffirms his order.
Lyrics From A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)
First Half
Guy:
I want a zoot suit with a reet pleat
And a drape shape, and a stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal.
Gal:
You want a reef sleeve with a right stripe
And a rare square, so the gals will stare
When they see you struttin' with your Sunday pal.
Guy: (That's me).
Gal:
You wanta look keen so your dream will say
"You don't look like the same beau"
So keen that she'll scream, "Here comes my walkin' rainbow."
Guy:
So make a zoot suit with a reet pleat
And a drape shape, and a stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal
Now, what you want, baby?
Second Half
Gal:
I want a brown gown with a zop top
And a hip slip, and a laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man
Guy: (In his zoot suit).
Gal:
A scat hat and a zag bag
And a slick kiss, so the other chicks
Will be jealous when I'm with my Sunday fan
I wanta look keen so my dream will say
"Ain't I the lucky fellah"
So keen that he'll scream, "Baby's in Technicolor."
Guy:
So make a reet pleat with a drape shape
And a stuff cuff, to look sharp enough
To see my Sunday, Sunday gal.
More About The Song And Lyrics
Did you know that there are alternate versions of the lyrics? Different bands recorded the song and thought nothing of using their own variations on the lyrics when it pleased them to do so. The song was popular and received a lot of attention. It was played on music boxes in diners, bars, and juke joints everywhere."...
-snip-
Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien, the composers of this once very popular song, were White Americans.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Dorothy DANDRIDGE "Zoot Suit" (1942) !!!
JUSTASITTINANDAROCK, Published on Feb 25, 2014
RARE OLDIES SOUNDIES WITH MISS DOROTHY DANDRIDGE !!! Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 -- September 8, 1965) was an American actress and singer. Dandridge was the first black actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She performed as a vocalist in venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater.
After many bit parts and a few minor roles, Dandridge landed her first notable film role in Tarzan's Peril (starring Lex Barker) in 1951. She won her first starring role in 1953, playing a teacher in Bright Road, a low-budget film with a nearly all-black cast, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
In 1954 she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Carmen Jones. In 1959 she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Porgy and Bess. In 1999 she was the subject of the HBO biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, starring Halle Berry as Dandridge. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dandridge was married and divorced twice: first to dancer and entertainer Harold Nicholas (the father of her daughter, Harolyn Suzanne), then to Jack Denison. She died at age 42.
-snip-
I haven't found any information about Paul White except for this anonymous comment that was posted to the following blog post http://swingjazzblues.blogspot.com/2008/10/dorothy-dandridge-paul-white-zoot-suit.html
"Anonymous said...
Paul is /was a relative of mine.
I know that he moved to Denmak. His sister Meredith is still around, she was the night club singer in Pete Kellys Blues.
Thank you
Laura
[...]
MARCH 6, 2010 AT 11:37 PM"
-snip-
That comment includes an email address which I've not shared according to the policies of this pancocojams blog.
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LYRICS: A ZOOT SUIT (FOR MY SUNDAY GAL)*
(as sung by Dorothy Dandridge & Paul White)
Guy:
I want ah zoot suit with ah reet pleat
With ah drape shape, and ah stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal
I want ah reef sleeve with ah right stripe
And ah vest pressed in the glad plaid
in the latest fad to see my Sunday gal
I wanna look keen so my dream will say
"You don't look like the same beau."
So keen that she'll scream
"Ahh! Here comes my walking rainbow."
So make ah zoot suit with ah reet pleat
And with ah drape shape, and ah stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal
Gal:
I want ah brown gown with ah zop top
And ah hip slip, and ah laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man
I want ah scat hat with a trim brim
Ah sag bag with ah riff zip
to look plenty hip to see my Sunday Sam.
Justa wanna look keen so my dream will say
"Ain't I the lucky fellah"
So keen that he'll scream, "Baby, you sure look mellow".
So make ah brown gown with ah zop top
Ah hip slip, and ah laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man
[Instrumental]
Guy:
I gotta zoot suit with ah reet pleat
With ah drape shape, and ah stuff cuff
So I look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal
I gotta brown gown with ah zop top
And ah hip slip, and ah laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday Sam
I wanna look keen so my dream will say
"You don't look like the same beau."
So keen that I'll scream
"Here comes my walking rainbow"
I gotta zoot suit with the reet pleat
And the stuff cuff with the glad plaid
In the latest fad to see my Sunday gal [Girl sings "to see my Sunday guy".]
-snip-
This is my transcription of this Soundie. Additions and corrections are very welcome.
A commenter in one of the discussion threads for YouTube videos of this song with Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White transcribed "You don't look like the same beau" as "You don't look like Sambo". I can hear how that commenter arrived at that transcription. However, I'm very sure that "the same beau [with "beau" pronounced "boh" and meaning "boyfriend"] is the correct transcription, partly because the "the same beau" are the lyrics that are found in the Kay Kyser version and partly because the word "Sambo" (a negative caricature of a Black man) doesn't fit the words that were pronounced.
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